1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to information handling systems (IHS), and more particular to a heatsink that receives cooling air bi-directionally.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continue to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems (IHSs). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes, thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers often dictate the geometric layout of components on a server board within a server chassis of an IHS. Multiple central processing unit (CPU) sockets and random access memory (RAM) modules are particular examples of such geometries that may be laid out without considerations for cooling within the server chassis. These geometric specifications coupled with the standard information technology (IT) rack layout used today can result in challenging cooling conditions where heat dissipating components are oriented in series with respect to the airflow path. As air moves through one component and absorbs heat (increasing its temperature), the pre-heated air is then passed through additional components with reduced cooling effectiveness. This process is often referred to as ‘thermal shadowing’ or preheating.
ICs such as CPUs and video graphic chips generate a substantial portion of the thermal energy that must be dissipated to avoid overheating and failure. Typically a heatsink with a finset of cooling fins is closely attached to the IC to conductively receive and to convectively dissipate the thermal energy to a cooling air that passes through a server chassis. Even if not impinged directly by the air flow that passes through the heatsink, adjacent components can receive preheated air due to thermal energy that radiates laterally from such heatsinks.